Huh? The Tyrant Cries After My Inner Thoughts Were Exposed!-Chapter 219: The Old Emperor’s Birthday Gift
After the guests had dispersed, there was still quite a bit of activity at the back gate of the Princess Mansion, with many confidants delivering birthday gifts from colleagues who were close to Su Juan but couldn’t make it personally.
The Empress left the palace and visited quietly, bringing a bowl of longevity noodles. The noodles were of varying thickness, and Su Juan guessed that she had made them herself, feeling touched, "This is the first time someone has personally made longevity noodles for me."
Upon hearing this, the Empress felt a great deal of sympathy; this granddaughter must have suffered much in the past.
Duke Ping: "?" Could it be that this old man never made them for you?
You can’t think just because what I make is good, that it’s not made by me!
Definitely a wrong assumption, truly a wrong assumption.
He couldn’t say much at the moment, lest he come across as overly petty for a big, burly man.
"Waah, Grand Empress Dowager is really kind."
The Empress looked lovingly, thinking this is her own granddaughter; if she wasn’t kind to her, who else could she be kind to?
"Though the appearance isn’t very appealing."
The Empress: "..."
Well, it isn’t that bad, right?
"They should be cooked, right? They’re just noodles, eating them shouldn’t cause indigestion..."
Xie Xun nearly burst into laughter.
The Empress fixed her gaze on the bowl of noodles Su Juan was eating. She wasn’t sure herself if they were fully cooked, having never cooked in the boudoir, and even less during her years in the palace.
What if they truly weren’t cooked and harmed the child...?
The Empress pondered whether she should summon an Imperial Physician to stand by, just in case anything untoward happened, they could respond immediately.
But by now, Su Juan had polished off the entire bowl of noodles, even licking her lips, her face beaming with joy, "Grand Empress Dowager’s craftsmanship is excellent, delicious."
Only then did the Empress feel relieved.
She was truly afraid of causing any harm by eating.
...
After leaving the Princess Mansion, Mei Ying returned to Mei Mansion and reported to Minister Mei everything she observed and heard today.
"Father, you have no idea; she’s literally penniless now, lacking the silver to host a banquet, yet insists on putting on a facade. The food was awfully bad."
"Even the wine was watered down, fortunately not many people went, otherwise she’d lose face."
Recalling today’s events, Mei Ying felt she had suffered, eating a pile of unpalatable food—she only took one sip of the fake wine—and yet had to watch Su Juan pretending all the while.
Even as a princess, she still carried the aura of a merchant, not fearful of losing face.
Minister Mei sighed in relief, thankful not to have truly bonded with Princess Jinyang earlier; otherwise, he’d have been pulled down into trouble. Song Qianfan’s side is pressing him closely, and lately, there’s always that strategist following him, perhaps scheming something grand... Could it be a rebellion?
He thought he might be overthinking. The Princely Heir is currently only targeting Princess Jinyang, seizing the opportunity to reappear before Your Majesty; Prince Jing is, after all, still under house arrest, and as his son, how could he dare to rebel?
He immediately documented the information his daughter gathered today from the Princess Mansion into a letter and had it sent to Song Qianfan.
His influence in the court was waning, so if the Princely Heir could truly turn the tide, it would be best if he could marry off his daughter.
"Ying’er, if you get the chance to meet the Princely Heir, you should give a good impression without making it obvious to others." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
He felt somewhat confident, believing his daughter was quite attractive.
Mei Ying frowned deeply, "Father, what do you mean, telling me to win over Song Qianfan?"
Minister Mei explained briefly, "Now that Your Majesty is considering someone’s adoption, and the Princely Heir once held the Third Rank, he has a good chance. If you could marry him, the Mei Family could rise with the tide."
Mei Ying’s expression darkened, clearly unhappy, "Father, Song Qianfan’s character is rotten. He not only has mistresses but also mistreats his wife. I don’t want to marry such a person!"
She felt her father was pushing her into a pit just for power.
She thought: Even if he becomes Emperor, I will still not marry!
Minister Mei sternly said, "That’s past news, none of that exists now."
"Moreover, what man doesn’t have multiple wives? As a Princely Heir, having mistresses is normal, whether what’s said outside is true or not, even if he has mistreated his wife, it would be because of her family’s negligence. If you marry him, with me protecting you, who dares hurt you?"
"Don’t assume I don’t know you’re still thinking about that Liu family person, who’s still just a small Minister of the Ministry of Rites, while Cai Yi is now the Crown Prince’s Tutor. That says a lot about Liu Xuan’s prospects!"
But despite his words, Mei Ying didn’t take any to heart.
The Crown Prince’s Tutor, the Princely Heir, none of them compared to Liu Xuan.
No matter how small his position might be, he has a noble character and is bound to succeed in time!
Meanwhile, after reading the letter, Song Qianfan scoffed; women are just women, valuing pride while suffering.
Su Juan is utterly defeated, as an empty-named princess, only those negligible might still seek her favor, going nowhere.
Now we just await the autumn hunt, where I can fulfill my long-held wish!
...
That night, after the Empress left, Duke Ping returned home after accompanying people and saw Su Juan was unwrapping the gifts set on the table, all exquisite items a young lady would love, showing thoughtfulness.
Just then, a Hidden Guard, who had been secretly following Su Juan, emerged and placed a wooden box in front of her.
Duke Ping flinched, recognizing that it was a Hidden Guard from beside the Emperor.
Su Juan recognized the person, "It’s you!"
This was the one who helped her when she was attacked years ago, with impressive skills.
The Hidden Guard said solemnly, "Your Majesty has prepared a birthday gift for you."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Hidden Guard disappeared again.
Finally, Su Juan understood; the Old Emperor had someone following her since earlier years.
Back then, nobody knew her identity, yet this old character...
She reached out and opened the wooden box, seeing a bronze token shaped like a tiger lying inside, alongside a decree in bright yellow.
Su Juan was taken aback, "Is this... a Tiger Talisman and a decree?"
She had seen it before, but never imagined the Old Emperor’s birthday gift would be so generous, wondering if he had made a mistake.
In her memory, this Talisman had never changed hands even when lives depended on it, or perhaps it did without her knowledge.
After all, such a talisman should never leave hands unless in grave military conditions or imperial peril.
Duke Ping also paused in surprise; the Emperor had given the Right Token, whereby combined with the decree, one could command the military forces except those stationed in Huai State.
These were meant for royal control, while the other half currently resides with General Shi in the Huai State Camp closest to the Capital City; once the tokens unite, it commands the two-thousand soldiers without a decree, and with an imperial decree, controls the entire Huai State troops.
